Renault's Fernando Alonso has said there is "no doubt" he will help the Ferrari driver Felipe Massa to win the world championship this season.

Alonso, who won yesterday's Japanese grand prix, partnered Lewis Hamilton at McLaren last year, but the pair had numerous public spats and Alonso ended his contract early to return to Renault. He has remained a vocal critic of the British driver, who currently leads the standings by five points over Massa, and has now said that if he has the opportunity he will help the Ferrari driver to win.

Double world champion Alonso also criticised Hamilton for failing to score as many points as he did in 2006, when he won his second title. "Yes, no doubt, if I can help, I will help Massa," Alonso told Spain's AS newspaper. "After 16 races the leader has 84 points. In 2006 I had 82 in nine races. In this championship the drivers who are up there have scored few points. But in the end the one who makes the least errors will win."

Alonso gave further evidence of his animosity towards Hamilton and the McLaren team when he said he agreed with the penalty the Briton received for his move at the start of yesterday's race. "I don't know what he did," said the Spaniard, "but it's good he's punished anyway."

Massa, meanwhile, has denied Hamilton's claim that he deliberately crashed into the Briton at Fuji yesterday. "I did the corner normally, and he came back very aggressively and hit me," said Hamilton. "That was pretty much as deliberate as can be." But Massa has responded by insisting: "I did not hit him deliberately. I can't believe he sees it that way."